Out of Time (Lovers in Time Series, Book 1): Time Travel Romance

by Marilyn Campbell

  "What about what I did for you before this?"

  "He tried it twice when we were first married but I didn't react the way he thought I should so he quit trying.

  "No expressions of gratitude at the big finish?"

  "No expressions whatsoever, and definitely no finish, big or little."

  "Ever?"

  "Not with him. Now, speaking of finishing, it is definitely your turn."

  He stopped asking questions, accepted her order with a grin, and, with a bit more focus on her movements, they were soon both considerably more relaxed.

  The carpeted floor wasn't the most comfortable place to cuddle, yet Kelly wasn't expecting Jack to rise and don his jeans quite so quickly.

  He answered before she could ask. "Condoms. Car."

  She pouted prettily. "I would have gotten them—"

  Jack was out the door and back with the bag from the drug store before she could finish her sentence.

  As he slipped out of his jeans again, he asked, "Anything else before we head upstairs for round two?"

  Kelly's eyes widened. "Two?"

  He gave her a wink as he helped her to her feet. "The first one barely counts. And you should know, I consider it a vital part of my employment agreement to make sure you are completely satisfied with my job performance."

  Kelly never even walked around in her underwear when she was alone, but the mere thought of what efforts Jack planned to employ as part of his "job" stopped her from feeling shy about her nudity as they hurried upstairs and into the master bedroom. She openly admired the show as he pulled down the comforter and top sheet, propped the pillows up against the headboard and dumped the contents of the condom box on the nightstand. She ordered herself to copy his comfortable demeanor.

  Jack settled onto the middle of the king-sized bed and patted the spot next to him. The way his eyes raked over her and the lascivious curve of his mouth warned her he had another surprise ready for her.

  And she couldn't wait to find out what it was.

  Completely opposite of how they'd almost devoured each other downstairs, he tenderly put his arm around her to draw her close, his fingers barely grazed her flesh as they caressed her cheek, her breast, her hip, all the while his eyes gazed into hers with a look of total adoration. And when his lips brushed over hers, she felt her whole body give in to whatever he had in mind.

  "This is nice," he murmured in her ear.

  "Mm-hmm," she sounded and began exploring his body and returning his kisses in the same soft, sensual manner.

  "Round two could all be at this pace, but, if you're game, I have a different idea."

  She hesitated for a few heartbeats as he continued his ticklish stroking of her skin. "Will it spark my creative juices?"

  He chuckled. "I think so."

  "Then consider me game."

  "Good. Because I've been fantasizing about something all day."

  "And I can help with this fantasy?"

  "You're the main character."

  "Ooh, now I'm intrigued." She ran her foot up and down his shin. "So tell me how I can I help with this fantasy of yours?"

  "I'd like you to do what you did last night, only more."

  She was willing to do almost anything he had in mind but she had no clue what he was referring to. "Can you be a little more explicit?"

  "Actually, I can be very explicit. I want you to pose for me, like you did, only with nothing on at all. Just you and your hair." His fingers combed through her waves and brought a lock up to his cheek. "You have no idea how much that excited me when I opened my eyes and saw you... like a centerfold come to life, only better. None of the women I've ever seen in those magazines are anywhere close to being as beautiful or sexy as you are."

  Never in her life had she imagined feeling flattered by a man comparing her to a centerfold model but she was much more than flattered. The idea of posing nude for him, seductively exhibiting herself for the sole purpose of inciting his lust was instantly arousing to her. She just wanted to know one thing first. "Did any other woman ever do that for you?"

  He shook his head. "Never."

  "Not even Ginger?"

  That made him smirk. "Especially not Ginger."

  She gave his request some consideration and came up with a way to make it hotter. "You said I needed to use my imagination. All right. I'll be your centerfold model but only if you'll be my photographer. That means no touching while I pose, only pictures, pretend pictures, that is. And absolutely no talking."

  His eyes lit up with appreciation. "I can manage that."

  "You have to close your eyes, as if they were the camera lens. The lens can only open when I say click, then I'll hold my pose for five seconds. When I say stop, the lens has to close again so I can get ready for the next picture. Agreed?"

  He nodded casually, as though there was nothing unusual about her game rules.

  "Okay. Just let me know when—"

  He ran his index finger along her jaw then tapped her nose. "Now. Like I said, the first round didn't really count."

  Her gaze drifted down to his semi-aroused state. "Then I say, let the games begin. Start by leaving the room. Count to one hundred, then come back in." Since she was giving him a directive, she didn't wait for a response.

  Before exiting he moved an arm chair to the foot of the bed. "I have a feeling I'm going to need this."

  One minute later she was perched in the middle of her bed wearing a green satin robe. When he appeared in the doorway, he was still nude and still semi-erect. He also appeared to be somewhat bewildered.

  "I'm not going to start until you're seated with the lens shuttered."

  He immediately sat and closed his eyes.

  Kelly felt a twinge of modesty but firmly squelched it. This was her chance to do all the nontraditional things her heroines always got to do, to freely explore her sexuality without fear of rejection or abandonment. This wasn't just Jack's fantasy, it was one of hers as well. She turned around with her feet beneath her, brought all her hair forward and let the robe fall off her shoulders so that Jack's first view would be of her bare back down to a glimpse of her bottom.

  "Click."

  He raised his eyelids and swallowed hard. He had expected a totally different, more blatant pose, but her choice was more imaginative. He mentally photographed the artistic image she offered.

  "Stop."

  Kelly quickly turned around, still sitting on her feet with the robe covering only her lap and her hair spread over her shoulders and chest. Keeping her head downcast shyly, she said, "Click."

  This was closer to what Jack had expected to see. Her mane of reddish-gold hair was draped modestly over each breast but the puckered nipples were playing peak-a-boo through the strands. In a way it was more enticing this way, but he was anxious to see how she would play it out.

  She gave him just a bit more for his next "shot". The robe was discarded. She was still on her haunches but her back was arched with her hands behind her head and her thighs were wide apart. She had twisted her hair into a thick rope that hung between her full, bared breasts and downward to conceal her treasure. Her eyes were closed, as though she were stretching after a long night's sleep. How he wished he had an actual camera! All too soon she gave the order to stop but he obediently closed his eyes again.

  "Click."

  Jack inhaled sharply at the daring pose she now offered. This was the sort of centerfold photo he had in mind when he suggested the game. The only way he kept himself seated was to clutch the arms of the chair. Leaning against the headboard, pinching a nipple with the thumb and index finger of her left hand while the fingers of her right pressed against her sex, the expression on her face told him she was enjoying this as much as he was. A groan escaped his throat and she ordered the lens closed before the full five seconds had passed. The game was quickly becoming more frustrating than satisfying but he had to see what she would do next to try to lure him out of his chair.

  As he opened his eyes for the
next picture, he almost lost his control. She had turned away from him again but this time she was on her knees, head down and ass up. He crossed his legs and clenched the chair arms even tighter but then, unlike the frozen image of a centerfold, she peaked over her shoulder at him and ran her tongue over her upper lip. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so he pounced.

  She squealed and rolled to her back a second before he landed on top of her, grasped her wrists and held them over her head.

  "That was cruel," he said and nipped her upper lip.

  She giggled and squirmed beneath his weight.

  "You think you're funny, huh? That's doubly cruel. In fact, I think that makes you downright bad. Do you know what happens to bad girls?"

  She stopped squirming and narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't even think about it," she warned sternly.

  "Bad girls get spankings," he said with a wicked eyebrow wiggle, just to let her know he was still playing.

  "Are you sure that's what you want to do with me?" She parted her legs and drew her knees all the way up to his ribs. He growled and she tilted her hips up against him. "This may have been your fantasy but it pushed me to the edge. I think I've earned a reward, not a punishment. I don't need a spanking. I need you to get a condom on and take care of your employer."

  In record time he complied with both requests. The posing game had driven them both beyond thought and his entry was hard and fast. He pulled back and plunged into her again. And again. And again. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pushed against his thrusts.

  They hovered on the verge of climax for several more clashes before their bodies demanded a very, very grand finale.

  * * *

  Gabriel steeled himself against the triumphant sound of Jezebel's laughter. He had been so sure she couldn't win this one! Sometimes he wondered if it was really necessary to give humans quite so much free will. Just look where it had taken Jack and Kelly.

  "Half of six is three," Jezebel sang out. "And they've already used up most of the first week. Jack Templeton's soul will soon be mine, Gabriel. Why don't you save yourself the next two weeks of aggravation and give up now? I'll go easy on you, I swear."

  "He still has plenty of time," the archangel returned in a more confident tone than he felt.

  Ah well. He'd done as much as he could do. He also knew without a doubt that Jezebel had not interfered. Kelly made that choice on her own. Jack's fate was now entirely in her hands.

  Gabriel could only pray that Jack did not succeed with his plan to distract her from their mission.

  Chapter 12

  Kelly had no idea how much time passed before she came back to reality but when she did, she still had a difficult time breathing. Jack's full body weight was on her chest. "Jack?" she whispered and gave his shoulders a nudge. He stirred and took a long, deep breath, which only made it worse for her. "Please, I can't breathe."

  He lifted his head and blinked down at her as though wondering how she'd gotten there. Finally full awareness set in and he quickly rolled off her.

  As she filled her lungs, he brought her hand to his lips and kissed the palm. "That didn't go quite the way I'd planned."

  She ran her fingers through his hair and smiled. "You mean you didn't plan to pass out on top of me?"

  He made a face. "I didn't pass out. Well, not completely. I just... hell, I don't know what happened to me. I've never lost it like that before."

  She arched one brow. "Is that good or bad?"

  He chuckled and quickly kissed her. "Definitely good. But I had planned to make sure it was great for you and—"

  She stopped him with a kiss. "I can't imagine how it could have been better. I even forgot how nervous I was after the first couple poses."

  "I didn't mean to make you nervous." His tone was sincere. "I thought, since you sort of did it for me last night..."

  "Don't misunderstand. I really wanted to do that. I just never did anything like that before. You see, I've written hundreds of steamy love scenes, without having a whole lot of, um, actual experience."

  He kissed her lightly. "Believe me when I say it didn't show."

  She giggled shyly. "Thank you."

  Cocky male pride filled his eyes. "Another expression of gratitude? And what about the finish? I was unusually preoccupied with my own to tell whether yours was big or little... or nonexistent."

  "Big is hardly an adequate word for what I just experienced."

  He laid back and folded his hands behind his head. "Aah then my work here is done. Maybe I should ask for a pay raise."

  She promptly rewarded him by hitting him with a pillow. "Smartass!"

  In a blink, he had her pinned on her back. "I haven't forgotten that I owe you a spanking. Especially after you so sweetly offered up your bottom."

  "Oh no, master," she begged, batting her eyelashes at him and trying not to laugh. "Not that. I'll do anything you say, just spare me that."

  He pretended to give her plea some thought then pulled her up off the bed with him. "All right. You may bathe me. In the magical whirling pool. We'll postpone the spanking for the moment. But if you misbehave again..." He shook his index finger at her in warning.

  She caught his hand and closed her mouth around his whole finger, sucking on it as she slowly drew it out again. "Misbehave? I wouldn't think of it. But I'm not opposed to giving you a raise."

  "God help me," he murmured and led her into the master bath.

  While the Jacuzzi filled with hot water, Kelly pinned her hair up so she wouldn't have to deal with drying it when they were done playing. Thinking that he might enjoy the entire stress-reducing experience, she lit the four white candles along the back of the tub. One had a lavender aroma that encouraged relaxation. She pressed a button on the CD player and her favorite new age tape came on. Rather than still being self-conscious about her nudity, she was finding Jack's appreciative gaze quite titillating. When the tub was half full, she turned on the jets, turned off the lights and bowed slave-style to Jack. "Your bath awaits, master."

  He nodded with satisfaction. "It's good to see that a few things from the sixties caught on. Candles and mystical music. All we need is some good weed."

  "That's still around too but not in this house. Although you might be interested to know it has been legalized in several states other than Georgia. I could get you another beer if you want."

  He drew her into his arms and smiled down at her. "No thanks. I'm so high on you right now, I don't need anything else." As he dipped his head for a kiss, his hands slid down her back and cupped her bottom, urging her to rise on tiptoes.

  She felt his sex stir and her body responded in kind. It was nearly unbelievable. She would have been happy to forget the bath and go back to bed but he gently ended the kiss and helped her step into the tub.

  The sound of complete contentment he emitted as he sank down into the bubbling water made Kelly laugh until he held out his hands in invitation. She knelt down between his thighs and placed her hands on his chest but he turned her around and pulled her back against him.

  "Since you have so little experience, I think we should figure out what else you've never done." His wet hands glided up and down her arms and gently massaged her shoulders. "Tonight, when we were at Stone Mountain, sitting like this, do you know what I was thinking about?"

  "Riding with the rebel cavalry?" she asked in mock innocence.

  "You're close," he said with a chuckle. "Riding was definitely on my mind. Remember how I had my arms around your waist, like this?" He encircled her and she nestled into his embrace. He kissed her neck and nipped her earlobe. "I kept telling myself to be content with holding you but I kept thinking about moving my hands... just a little."

  Very slowly, he acted on the thought, until her breasts rested in his hands. "I've got to confess, I love long hair on a woman but this is my real weakness." He kneaded her flesh, alternately squeezing and caressing. "Now that you've given me permission, I may have a hard time letting go."


  She chuckled softly. "That could become a problem."

  He kissed the top of her head. "You have no idea how inventive I can be when I set my mind to it. The question is whether you like my hands on you like this." He covered her fullness and pressed her flesh upward.

  "I like."

  "What?"

  "Your hands on my breasts, especially from behind like this."

  He kissed the top of her head again. "Good girl. Do you think you'd like my hands on any other part of you?" She nodded and he moved his hands up to her shoulders and neck. "Here?"

  She closed her eyes as he pressed his thumbs along the muscles. "Mm-hmmm."

  "How about here?" His fingers walked down her arms and interlaced with hers and she nodded again. He went on, stroking her stomach, then her hips and on to her thighs, gliding from outside to in, each time asking for her approval and receiving it.

  Finally his hands returned to her breasts and her heartbeat quickened. "You seem to be getting excited about something." Brushing his mouth against her ear, he murmured, "Is there anywhere else you'd like me to touch?"

  "Mm-hmmm."

  "Show me."

  She reminded herself that this was her opportunity to be as wanton as she chose and, covering his right hand with hers, she boldly dragged it down over her stomach and pressed it between her thighs.

  "Very good." He lightly massaged the outside of her sex then his fingers slipped deeper.

  Her response was a frustrated moan as she pressed her head back against his shoulder and grasped his thighs to brace herself. He clearly knew her body better than she knew it herself. With expert manipulation, he drew her to the very brink of orgasm then withdrew his hand.

  "Enough? Or do you need more?" he asked.

  Breathless and dazed, she barely understood what he wanted her to say. "More. Definitely more."

  As he went back to work for her, he murmured close to her ear. "Close your eyes. Imagine we're back at Stone Mountain, sitting like we were, but now we have a blanket over your lap. We're in public. There are people all around us. But they can't see where my hand is. They don't know what I'm doing to you under the blanket. But you do and you have to act like nothing is going on down there."